Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-02-03
THE HAJoRss STORY.
London Society

stretching out his legs lite farther un-
der the mess table; and bringing down
his hand upon it with such force that the
glasses rang again--''by the living lingo!
j don't believe there's man IN the regi-
ment, OF in the whole British army either
that's had as many, aye, half as many
narrow saueaks for his life as ! have
had"
General attention was Immediately
concentrated upon the major, for the
above speech was familiar to all present.
When II burst from the majors lips we
all knew that his wonderful memory had
recalled 10 him some hairbreadth escape,
some daring exploit OF which ne was the
hero: or. which was Just rs good, that
his equally wonderful Imagination had
conjured up some such picture, still hay
ing himself for the central figure.
And when the maior's memory or im-
agination supplied him with an anecdote,
he was always generously eager to impart
it TO his friends or brother officers In
deed his stories were told three times at
the very lowest rate of computation, but
then they we're re-told with such na:aer-
Gus variations and additions that they
fell fiat on our ears.
II was Just like listening TO some we'll
known tune played with variations"
whore you are hardly able TO pick out the
original air from the multitude Of thrills
and turns and quivers in which it is
shrouded. so with the majors stories.
Sometimes hearing one for the second
time, we hardly recognized it as an old
friend until the grand crisis or denounce-
ment was reached, all the details having
altered so rraryelously since the first time
OF recital.
But let the major tell the story that is
evidently trembling on the tip of his
tongue, in his own way and without FUR
Their interruption or explanation.
and whats more, besides having got
safely out OF some pretty sorapes my
self, as you all know there was a
loud chorus Of asserting voices, and
fervently uttered True for you major,
and the saints be praised for that same!'
from young Irish subaltern, lately join
ed, TO whom the ma ior's stories still wore
the gloss of novelty, though his irrever-
ort and meagerly yelled skcpticism caus-
ed that eloquent -econteur 20 view HIM
with some suspioion-"i dare say you
also know he continued, "that I've help
cd 90 get other men out OF them too. But
| don't know that | ever saw any man
except myself of course-uearor being
swallowed mp by the jaws OF death than
our colonel was one day out in India.
For some time past we had no regular
fghting and were in hopes that We might
be able TO negotiate a peace without fur
ther bloodshed. But meanwhile there
was kind Of petty guerrilla warfare
going on. The cowardly ours Of natives
never showed themselves openly, but
would hide in the woods, by which our
camp was pretty well surrounded"
"a right spot for a picnic party, but a
quaro situation for a campW murmured
tho subaltern, who was promptly adiured
to;
Dry up, and let the major speak,
Concealed IN this cOyet, they would
pick off one man here and another there,
from immense distances; for, you know,
they had got possession of lot of old
rifles, and when once they had found out
how TO use them, they were beggars TO
shoot, And the most aggrayating part Of
IL was, tat though they ran fhs, enough
when discovered, yet If you did get hold
of them, and 10 came 20 the point, they
didn't seem TO mind being killed in the
least. As sure as I'm a living man, they
seemed, like the cells, rather TO enjoy it.
suppose they knew there were plenty
more to follow but, pom my honor, its
astonishing how cheap those fellows seem
ed to hold human life.
well, as | was going TO say, our col
ouel was rs brave man as ever breathed
the breath OF life but he was rash, terri
bly, RASH aud one day he was strollng
about between the camp and the wood,
when happened to cetch signt OF him.
1.-The very place where poor Willis was
howled over last week said | to myself.
III just keep an eye on the colonel, and
see that he comes to no harm
so | strolled out after him, and then
remembered that after Willis was shot by
some scamp lurking among the trees We
had posted sentries at short distances
along the outer edge of the wood. We
called It q wood, but il was really long
narrow belt OF trees skirting the camp. /
However, thought might as Well walk /.
round to where the sentries were on duty, /.
and make sure that all WAS right But /
when l got to the place where | could have I
sworn that the frat one of them ought to 4
have been standing, there was no sentry |
there. SO | went on 10 the second pos
hAh 81 NtNS AfNfiNeAls lhAr huN 80 was llt g.
third and the fourth. In fact there was
not a man ont of the half dozen to be
found.
"Of course | knew at al once tina. there
was some Jreachery on foot. and l re-
solved Ia hurry back TO the camp to rive
the alar.n. So OF / started in hot haste.
took a short cut through the wood in
the direction OF the camp. but / hadn't
got more than half way acros, when a
thick clump Of brushwood aroused my
suspicious as very likely place for an
enemy to be be skulking in. So keeping
my revolver in readiness. went up to il.
resolved to uuearth amy Of the tricky
scouudrels who might have chosen il as a
snug h.tle spot in which TO lie perdu. 1
plunged IN boldly, but keeping sharp
lookout
when | got into the middle. there was
a small open space, aud in 1t lay you
may judge of my horror when | came
suddenly upon them the bodies OF the
six murdered men, 9uddled one upon the
top of the other. Soldier though was.
and | don't think an over-cowardly one.
| felt inclined to turn AID hy frem the
horrible sight. You may hardly credit
hvt bia h.r .